KURRAM / PESHAWAR: At least 39 people, including seven women and a nine-year-old girl, were killed and 28 others injured when a convoy of passenger vehicles was ambushed in Lower Kurram on Thursday, officials confirmed, fearing that the death toll may rise further.
The attack occurred in the Mandori Charkhel area, a region with a history of sectarian tensions and land disputes.
Deputy Commissioner Javedullah Mehsood said the convoy, consisting of some 200 vehicles, was on its way from Parachinar to Peshawar when it came under heavy gunfire. Twelve injured passengers, including two women, were shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Tall, while 16 others were transported to Tehsil Hospital Alizai.
Sources said the attack, which occurred around 1:20pm, appeared to be retaliation for an Oct 12 assault that claimed 15 lives, including those of two women and a child. Local officials expressed concerns that the situation might escalate further, with tensions running high in the tribal district.
Mr Mehsood told the AFP news agency that two separate convoys of Shia passengers were targeted in two attacks. “Approximately 10 attackers were involved in both incidents, firing indiscriminately from both sides of the road,” he said.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the incident.
‘Five minutes of shooting’
Ajmeer Hussain was among those attacked and taken to a local hospital for treatment.
“Gunfire suddenly erupted, and I started reciting my prayers, thinking these were my final moments,” Mr Hussain, a 28-year-old victim being treated at a local hospital, told AFP.
“I laid down at the feet of the two passengers sitting next to me. Both of them were struck by multiple bullets and died instantly,” he added. “The shooting lasted for about five minutes.
Kurram district, which borders Afghanistan, has long experienced sectarian violence, often fuelled by disputes over land ownership between communities.
The government had earlier appointed a land commission to resolve the matter. While the commission has reportedly submitted its findings, the government has yet to make the report public, citing sectarian sensitivities.
Speculation also surrounds the involvement of the banned terrorist group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has recently been active in Lower Kurram, prompting fears among the residents. But government officials attributed the incident to the ongoing land dispute, ruling out sectarian motives.
A tribal elder of Tori Bangash tribes, Jalal Bangash, urged authorities to immediately evacuate stranded passengers and take steps to ensure the safety of the injured.
Mr Bangash and Allama Tajammal Hussain condemned the attack, stressing the failure of state institutions to secure transportation routes despite previous peace efforts, including a mass march by locals from Parachinar to Islamabad.
